Coke oven door cleaner

ABSTRACT

A coke oven door cleaner has a vertically reciprocating frame which resiliently supports a pair of tool brackets. A vertical tool holder is mounted on each tool bracket. Each tool holder carries a plurality of vertically spaced tools in the form of a stainless steel plate having a scraping edge at its front end and a scraping edge along one side. The end scraping edge engages the bottom of the gas channel on the door frame and the side scraping edge which is shaped to conform to the door plug scraps the plug. Each tool plate extends downwardly toward the end scraping edge. Means are provided to prevent the tool brackets from spreading.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,758,910

Lakeberg Sept. 18, 1973 COKE OVEN DOOR CLEANER Primary Examiner-Leon G. Machlin r151 Inventor: W1iri enli ljalteherg,l elfi otteifiltli Leek [73] Assigned? fiiiiiai stiites Steel car al/man Pittsburgh, Pa. [57] ABSTRACT 7' v A coke oven door cleaner has a vertical] reciprocatin [22] Filed. Nov. 3, 1971 y 8 frame which resiliently supports a pair of tool brackets. PP 195,036 A vertical tool holder is mounted on each tool bracket. Each tool holder carries a plurality of vertically spaced 52 us. c1. 15/93 A, 202/241 a Stainless steel Plate having a scrapmge gea 1 ron en an ascrapmge geaon 51 Int.Cl ..C10b43/04 d F d d d l 8 [58] Field of Search 15/93 A; 202/241 end sc'apmg edge engagcs "'9 the gas channel on the door frame and the side scraping [56] References Cited edge which is shaped to conform to the door plug UNITED STATES PATENTS scraps the plug. Each tool plate extends downwardly toward the end scraping edge. Means are provided to 3,464,074 9/ 1969 Stanke et al. 15/93 A prevent the too] brackets from spreading. FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 11 Claims 4 Dnwin Figures 857,780 l/l96l Great Britain 15/93 A g E a \1 9& I 44 j O 0 C 0 4 we men/52 52 2 58 56 35 50 5 35 1 50a 50 3 r 34 j 5 L 34 PATENTED SE?! 8875 SHEET 2 OF 2 COKE OVEN DOOR CLEANER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a coke oven door cleaner and, more particularly, to a reciprocating type cleaner such as shown in Stanke et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,322 dated Dec. 1, I970. Coke over doors, such as shown in Wolff U.S. Pat. No. 2,698,289 dated Dec. 28, 1954, have a metal body including spaced apart vertical gas channels and a refractory plug extending outwardly from the metal body into the coking chamber. During the coking operation, tar builds up on the bottom of the gas channels and on the plug, especially adjacent the gas channels. If the tar is not removed promptly it results in carbon build-up on the door surfaces which makes it impossible to obtain a good seal. Without a good seal, there is escape of gaseous materials from the coking chamber into the atmosphere with resultant objectionable air pollution. The Stanke cleaner includes two sets of scrapers mounted on resilient brackets with one set of scrapers engaging along one vertical edge of the door and the other against the other vertical edge. I have found that the door cleaning apparatus of the Stanke et al. patent does not operate satisfactorily for several reasons. This device utilizes one set of tools for the flat surface of the gas channel and another set of tools for the refractory plug. The first set of tools became bent and distorted after very little usage and actually damaged the sealing edge of the doors. The second set of tools did not properly clean the door plug and the tool brackets spread due to carbon build-up, thus damaging the sealing edge because the first set of tools would hit the outside of the gas channel. The difficulty and expense of maintaining the apparatus in satisfactory condition was so great that use of the device was discontinued.

I have found that by changing the tool structure and by using one set of tools on each tool bracket for scraping all the necessary surfaces of the door, the device functioned satisfactorily and is now being used.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a simpler and more effective coke oven door cleaner.

This and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, .in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the door cleaning apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the line IIII of FIG. 1, and showing the scrapers in engagement with the door;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 indicates a coke oven door which may be of the type shown in the above mentioned Wolff patent. The door 2 (FIG. 2) includes a metal body 4 having a sealing strip 6 secured thereto, thus forming a gas channel 8 having a flat bottom surface 10. A refractory plug 12 (FIG. 2) is secured to body 4 in a conventional manner.

DOOR CLEANING APPARATUS While my invention may be used with other types of door cleaning apparatus having tools mounted on reciprocating frames it will be described inrelationship to the apparatus disclosed in the above mentioned Stanke et al. patent. A first frame 14 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is provided with attachments 16 for connection to a coke pushing machine and coke guide (not shown). A second frame 18 (FIGS. I and 2) is suspended on the frame 14 by means of a universal joint 20 (FIG. I). A lifting cylinder 22 (FIG. 1) is pivotally mounted on bracket 24 of frame 18 with its piston rod 26 being attache to beam 28 of a reciprocating frame 30 (FIGS. 1-4). Springs 32 (FIG. 1) have one end attached to frame 18 and the other end to frame 30. As best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, a pair of tool brackets 34 including angles 35, are resiliently mounted on frame 30 by means of springs 36. Vibrators 38 (FIGS. 1, 3) cause vibration of the tool brackets 34. Leaf springs 40 (FIGS. 3 and 4) support a plurality of angles 42 on each bracket 34 with the angles 42 on one bracket 34 being opposed to the angles 42 on the other bracket 34. Reference is made to the Stanke et al. patent for further details.

TOOLS According to my invention, I provide on each bracket 34 a vertical U-shaped tool holder 44 (FIGS. 2 4) welded or otherwise fastened to the angles 42. Each tool holder 44 extends substantially the height of the door 2 with the base 44a of the tool holder 44 on one bracket 34 facing the base 44a of the tool holder 44 on the other bracket 34. Each tool holder 44 may be in one or more sections. A plurality of tools 46 (FIGS. 2-4) are attached to each tool holder 44. The tools are in the form of plates preferably made of 304 stainless steel or similar material. Each tool 46 has a scraping edge 46E (FIGS. 24) at one end and a side scraping edge 46S (FIGS. 2, 4). Each tool 46 is welded, bolted or otherwise fastened'to its associated holder 44 with its scraping edge 46E outboard of the holder 44 and its side scraping edge 46S facing the side scraping edge 468 of the tools 46 associated with the other tool holder 44. The scraping edge 46E is straight and of less width than the channel 8 and the scraping edge 468 is shaped to conform to at least that portion of the door plug 12 adjacent channel 8. The tools 46 slope downwardly toward the edges 46E so that that end of the tool 46 is lower than the other end. The edges 46E are in the same vertical plane and the tools 46 are spaced apart a distance less than the length of the reciprocations of the reciprocating frame 30. Braces 48 (FIGS. 2-4) are preferably provided between and welded to tool holder 44 and tool 46.

A plurality of horizontal angles 50 (FIGS. 2-4) are welded to angles 35 of each bracket 34 at several elevations adjacent some of the angles 42. It will be noted that that leg 42a of angle 42 not attached to channel 44 provides a vertical surface extending substantially normal to edges 46E. Each angle 50 is positioned with one leg 50a vertical and parallel to the associated leg 42a of angle 42. A nut 52 (FIG. 2) is welded to the vertical leg 50a of each angle 50 in alignment with a hole 54 in that leg. A bolt 56 (FIGS. 24) is threaded through nut 52 with its end through hole 54 and held in adjusted position by a lock nut 58.

OPERATION In operation, the bolts 56 are positioned so that the tools or scrapers 46 cannot spread apart a distance greater than the distance between the sealing strips 6. After the door 2 is removed from the coke oven chamber the cleaning apparatus is positioned in the usual manner as described in the Stanke et al. patent and the frame 30 reciprocated. ln this position, as shown in FIG. 2, the edges 46E engage the surfaces and the edges 46S engage the sides of plug 12. It will be noted that edges 46E are positioned in channels 8 without contacting sealing strips 6. As the tools 46 reciprocate they remove the accumulation of tar or the like in an efficient manner. Most of the tar is sufficiently plastic to flow downwardly from the ends of the tools 46. If desired the tools 46 may be heated to help the flow of the tar to prevent it from accumulating on the tools 46.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. ln apparatus for cleaning a coke oven door having at each side a vertical channel defined peripherally by a sealing strip with a flat bottom surface and a refractory plug between said vertical channels extending outwardly therefrom, said apparatus including a vertically reciprocating frame, and a pair of tool brackets resiliently mounted on said reciprocating frame and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said refractory plug; the improvement comprising a vertical tool holder attached to each tool bracket extending substantially the height of the door, a plurality of tools each in the form of a plate having a scraping edge at one end of a width slightly less than said flat bottom surface and a scraping edge on one side shaped to conform to the shape of the side of said door plug at least adjacent said channel, and means for attaching a plurality of said tools to each tool holder in vertically spaced apart relationship with their end scraping edges outboard of said tool holder and at a lower elevation than their other end and with the side scraping edges of the tools on one tool holder facing the side scraping edges of the tools on the other tool holder, said tools being spaced apart a distance less than the length of the reciprocations of said reciprocating frame, and positioning means mounted between a tool holder and its associated tool bracket, so that the opposed tools cannot spread apart a distance greater than the distance between said sealing strips.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said tool holders are U-shaped with the base of one tool holder facing the base of the other tool holder, said tools being welded to theirrespective tool holder.

3. ln apparatus for cleaning a coke oven door having at each side a vertical channel with a flat bottom surface and a refractory plug between said vertical channels extending outwardly therefrom, said apparatus including a vertically reciprocating frame, and a pair of tool brackets resiliently mounted on said reciprocating frame and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said refractory plug; the improvement comprising a vertical tool holder attached to each tool bracket extending substantially the height of the door, a plurality of tools each in theform of a plate having a scraping edge at one end of a width slightly less than said flat bottom surface and a scraping edge on one side shaped to conform to the shape of the side of said door plug at least adjacent said channel, and means for attaching a plurality of said tools to each tool holder in vertically spaced apart relationship with their end scraping edges outboard of said tool holder and at a 1 lower elevation than their other end and with the side scraping edges of the tools on one tool holder facing the side scraping edges of the tools on the other tool holder, said tools being spaced apart a distance less than the length of the reciprocation of said reciprocating frame and having braces extending between and welded to said tools and associated tool holder.

4. ln apparatus for cleaning a coke oven door having at each side a vertical channel with a flat bottom surface and a refractory plug between said vertical channels extending outwardly therefrom, said apparatus including a vertically reciprocating frame, and a pair of tool brackets resiliently mounted on said reciprocating frame and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said refractory plug; the improvement comprising a vertical tool holder attached to each tool bracket extending substantially the height of the door, a plurality of tools each in the form of a plate having a scraping edge at one end of a width slightly less than said flat bottom surface and a scraping edge on one side shaped to confonn to the shape of the side and of said door plug at least adjacent said channel, and means for attaching a plurality of said tools to each ,tool holder in vertically spaced apart relationship with their end scraping edges outboard of said tool holder and at a lower elevation than their other end and with the side scraping edges of the tools on one tool holder facing the side scraping edges of the tools on the other tool holder, said tools being spaced apart a distance less than the length of the reciprocations of said reciprocating frame, and having means on each tool bracket attached to the associated tool holder and having a vertical surface extending substantially normal to said end scraping edges, and means adjacent each of said vertical surfaces at spaced vertical locations for limiting movement of said vertical surfaces away from one another.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said tool holders are U-shaped with the base of one tool holder facing the base of the other tool holder, said tools being welded to their respective tool holder.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including braces extending between and welded to said tools and associated tool holder.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said means adjacent each of said vertical surfaces includes a plurality of spaced apart angles secured to said frame with one leg vertical and adjacent the associated vertical surface, female threaded means on said vertical leg open to said associated vertical surface, and an adjusting male threaded member threaded through said female threaded means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said tool holders are U-shaped with the base of one tool holder facing the base of the other tool holder, said tools being welded to their respective tool holder.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 including braces extending between and welded to said tools and associated tool holder.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a scraping edge is positioned in said channel without contacting said adjacent sealing strip.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one tool of said tools are heated to help the flow of the deleterious material being removed by said tool to prevent such deleterious material from accumulating on said tool.

l l 4 I t 

1. In apparatus for cleaning a coke oven door having at each side a vertical channel defined peripherally by a sealing strip with a flat bottom surface and a refractory plug between said vertical channels extending outwardly therefrom, said apparatus including a vertically reciprocating frame, and a pair of tool brackets resiliently mounted on said reciprocating frame and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said refractory plug; the improvement comprising a vertical tool holder attached to each tool bracket extending substantially the height of the door, a plurality of tools each in the form of a plate having a scraping edge at one end of a width slightly less than said flat bottom surface and a scraping edge on one side shaped to conform to the shape of the side of said door plug at least adjacent said channel, and means for attaching a plurality of said tools to each tool holder in vertically spaced apart relationship with their end scraping edges outboard of said tool holder and at a lower elevation than their other end and with the side scraping edges of the tools on one tool holder facing the side scraping edges of the tools on the other tool holder, said tools being spaced apart a distance less than the length of the reciprocations of said reciprocating frame, and positioning means mounted between a tool holder and its associated tool bracket, so that the opposed tools cannot spread apart a distance greater than the distance between said sealing strips.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said tool holders are U-shaped with the base of one tool holder facing the base of the other tool holder, said tools being welded to their respective tool holder.
 3. In apparatus for cleaning a coke oven door having at each side a vertical channel with a flat bottom surface and a refractory plug between said vertical channels extending outwardly therefrom, said apparatus including a vertically reciprocating frame, and a pair of tool brackets resiliently mounted on said reciprocating frame and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said refractory plug; the improvement comprising a vertical tool holder attached to each tool bracket extending substantially the height of the door, a plurality of tools each in the form of a plate having a scraping edge at one end of a width slightly less than said flat bottom surface and a scraping edge on one side shaped to conform to the shape of the side of said door plug at least adjacent said channel, and means for attaching a plurality of said tools to each tool holder in vertically spaced apart relationship with their end scraping edges outboard of said tool holder and at a lower elevation than their other end and with the side scraping edges of the tools on one tool holder facing the side scraping edges of the tools on the other tool holder, said tools being spaced apart a distance less than the length of the reciprocation of said reciprocating frame and having braces extending between and welded to said tools and associated tool holder.
 4. In apparatus for cleaning a coke oven door having at each side a vertical channel with a flat bottom surface and a refractory plug between said vertical channels extending outwardly therefrom, said apparatus including a vertically reciprocating frame, and a pair of tool brackets resiliently mounted on said reciprocatIng frame and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said refractory plug; the improvement comprising a vertical tool holder attached to each tool bracket extending substantially the height of the door, a plurality of tools each in the form of a plate having a scraping edge at one end of a width slightly less than said flat bottom surface and a scraping edge on one side shaped to conform to the shape of the side and of said door plug at least adjacent said channel, and means for attaching a plurality of said tools to each tool holder in vertically spaced apart relationship with their end scraping edges outboard of said tool holder and at a lower elevation than their other end and with the side scraping edges of the tools on one tool holder facing the side scraping edges of the tools on the other tool holder, said tools being spaced apart a distance less than the length of the reciprocations of said reciprocating frame, and having means on each tool bracket attached to the associated tool holder and having a vertical surface extending substantially normal to said end scraping edges, and means adjacent each of said vertical surfaces at spaced vertical locations for limiting movement of said vertical surfaces away from one another.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said tool holders are U-shaped with the base of one tool holder facing the base of the other tool holder, said tools being welded to their respective tool holder.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including braces extending between and welded to said tools and associated tool holder.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said means adjacent each of said vertical surfaces includes a plurality of spaced apart angles secured to said frame with one leg vertical and adjacent the associated vertical surface, female threaded means on said vertical leg open to said associated vertical surface, and an adjusting male threaded member threaded through said female threaded means.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said tool holders are U-shaped with the base of one tool holder facing the base of the other tool holder, said tools being welded to their respective tool holder.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 including braces extending between and welded to said tools and associated tool holder.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a scraping edge is positioned in said channel without contacting said adjacent sealing strip.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one tool of said tools are heated to help the flow of the deleterious material being removed by said tool to prevent such deleterious material from accumulating on said tool. 